Final Fantasy XII: Unveiled Revelations
by Tiger5913
Summary: [Complete!] Penelo wanders off in search of treasure and finds herself in a predicament. One of her allies comes to her aid... [Vaan x Ashe, Larsa x Penelo, takes place between Jahara and Golmore Jungle]
1. Part One

12/7/06

Disclaimer: The characters in this fic, such as Vaan, Penelo, etc. don't belong to me; they are property of Square, so don't sue! ;.;

Dedications: God, my parents, my friends, my readers, my beloved fans, and Square for making this fantastic and extremely addictive game.

Special dedication to: SilverLocke980, for being a longtime supporter of my works and for being such a devoted friend.

**Final Fantasy XII: Unveiled Revelations**

**By Tiger5913**

**Part One**

She knew what was going on.

The girl wasn't blind to her friend's rather obvious crush on the princess, and the way he fawned over her was kind of cute – and it certainly was funny when he screwed up from trying to show off. But when the humor wore off, she had to wonder silently, how much would he change if got into an actual relationship with the young woman that he so admired? The two friends had been close for quite a few years, almost like they were blood-related siblings, and so she was rather used to having a big brother looking out for her. He had protected her for most of their childhood and even as teenagers, but these days, she wasn't sure if he would be doing that anymore. Or maybe he would, but for a different person now…

The group of traveling companions was usually a party of six, an even number that caused certain members to pair off together, either by reason of partners, friends, or guardianship. From habit, the notorious sky pirate and his sleek viera companion usually kept to themselves, while the Dalmascan princess discussed political issues and her country's reformation with the former army captain. The two childhood friends were the youngest and most excitable, constantly showing their inexperience when they exclaimed their wonder at new towns, and especially by the way that they would eagerly run around exploring foreign locations. During the beginning of their journey, when they had been a little reckless at times, the duo had often come across numerous fiends and monsters, but her friend had always jumped into the battle first, therefore shielding her from being attacked.

However, recently, the girl noticed that he had started to stray away from her whenever they were fighting enemies, and instead he would draw near the princess, effectively becoming her supporter. Thanks to her dearly departed brother's instruction, Penelo was well-trained in martial arts and could stand her own in battle, but she felt better and more secure knowing that she had back-up, someone watching out for her. Since she had been orphaned by the war, Penelo was suddenly stricken with unfamiliar loneliness by the loss of her family, and she was afraid that one day, she would lose her good friend as well. But she was truly happy for her dear adopted brother and didn't want to intrude on his budding relationship with the princess, so she gave them their private space whenever they happened to wander off together.

She looked at them now with genuine interest and noticed that they had once again distanced themselves from the rest of the group, and a small smile of encouragement graced her dainty lips. Maybe they were finally starting to get somewhere with each other, despite her friend's initial worries and insecurities. After a period of confusion and startling revelations, it was revealed that the feisty young woman was not just another ordinary member of the Marquis Ondore's resistance group. She was Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, the long lost princess of their country, and suddenly she had seemed far beyond the reaches of a mere common boy's dream. Or so he thought, but he could be proven wrong yet…

Penelo certainly hoped so, for her friend's sake.

She watched the two interacting for a little while, and then surveyed the rest of her allies to see what they were doing. The girl wasn't surprised to find Balthier and Fran lingering in the back as always; they were practically always together, and no one dared to suggest that they be apart for any situation, especially in battle. The gallant and brave former knight of the Dalmascan army, Basch Fon Ronsenburg, was usually content with being by himself, but at the present time he was walking alongside and talking to the current guest in their party. Their guest was certainly a special visitor, the youngest son of the emperor of Arcadia, Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, who had traveled alone to Jahara just so he could meet with the princess and propose a plan of peace for the turbulent condition of their countries.

Even though he was a person of great importance and position, he had never treated Penelo as if she was beneath him or unworthy of his attention, and she in turn considered him a caring and trustworthy friend. He had seemed very eager to befriend her when they had first met in the crowded city of Bhujerba, which led the blonde girl to wonder if he felt as lonely as she had at times. She found that a little strange, for surely the young prince had to be constantly surrounded by people, given his title and role in Arcadia, but perhaps he didn't feel very close to any of them. Maybe he sought **real** companionship. Penelo was sympathetic to this desire of his and talked with him whenever she had the chance, and not too surprisingly, he turned out to be very good company.

Since his recent assimilation into the party, the girl noted with mild interest that he seemed to always be close by her in the absence of her friend's former protection. Of course, the irony was not lost on her; he, the young prince of a powerful empire, was putting so much effort in defending the life of an ordinary commoner instead of the other way around, though she kept that concept hidden deep within her mind. Penelo could easily recall numerous instances in which he had immediately joined her battle and avidly stayed by her side to help her finish off their targeted monster. Not to mention his seemingly endless supply of Potions had coolly slid down her throat on more than one occasion. She bet that if Vaan had been around her often enough lately to witness it, he would have poked fun at her for Larsa's sudden, unspoken attentiveness toward her.

She thought about going over to him right now to ease her steadily growing loneliness, but then she suddenly spotted a familiar object a little off in the distance. Throughout their travels, the group had occasionally come across various items and dropped forgotten gil amongst broken pots and urns, and she was just lucky enough to have caught one in her sight. After a quick glance at her allies, Penelo motioned to her friend where she was going, and with his distracted nod of assent, she eagerly headed toward her discovery. The companions were currently venturing through the Ozmone Plain, where she was perfectly content being and felt safe wandering around the sunny and lively green fields by herself. She certainly didn't think it was necessary to always be escorted everywhere she went.

Penelo reached the broken urn and leaned down, bringing her face close to it as she peered inside through the holes and wide cracks. A brief glint of light flashed, instantly catching her attention, and the blonde girl carefully slipped her hand into the glass pot, slowly weaving her way to the object. She grabbed it and held on tightly as she retrieved her treasure and then eagerly checked to see what it was; hopefully something she had great use for. The item turned out to be a bottle of Ether, and she delighted in her find, quickly tucking it into a small pouch that she had attached to her side. Out of all the things that Penelo had used before in battle, a mage like her benefited the most from a magic-restorative item.

Satisfied with her treasure, the girl straightened up and turned around to return to her allies, when all of a sudden she heard a sharp hiss emitting from somewhere off to the side. Her head jerked in the direction of the sound and she gasped at the sight of a large viper coiled just a few feet away from her, twin beady eyes fixated on her petite form while its fangs were bared in a threatening manner. Penelo threw a quick look at her other companions but to her dismay, they had wandered a bit further ahead and wouldn't be able to reach her before the vicious snake had the chance to attack. She would have to get past it to go toward them anyway, and so her hands immediately went to grab a hold of her sturdy battle rod as the young mage prepared to fight.

The scaly serpent uncoiled itself in response to the unspoken challenge and rose up into the air, its lengthy body slithering rapidly about the ground. Penelo gripped her weapon tightly as she tried to remember if the viper had a weakness to any of the spells that she currently had in her arsenal. She wasn't afraid of fighting it, since she had encountered the same type of creature before while venturing with the rest of the party, but going against it alone for the first time made her feel just a little nervous. Without warning, the long, slim snake lunged forward and Penelo reflexively scampered off to the side, while she mentally concentrated on casting the magic spell that came to her mind.

_Fire!_ She summoned frantically and a small line of flames shot out to burn the enemy. The snake recoiled from her attack and seemed to have been injured, but apparently not too severely as it hissed and quickly retaliated, once again going after the petite girl.

"Huh!" Penelo gasped sharply and thrust her rod straight at its face, striking the viper in the head and successfully deflecting the bite of its wicked twin fangs. The serpent was fast and seemed to match her own rapid speed, so the young mage quickly conjured up another spell, throwing a second burst of fire into the midsection of the snake's long body. It reared back and released a shrill shriek of pain, and she knew then that the viper was enraged and would begin to come at her with more furious intent. Penelo braced herself for its strikes and carefully kept her gaze on her opponent as she continued to concentrate on her spell-casting.

The vicious serpent swiped at her and the mage would return fire, but after a couple of rounds of this, the viper managed to slip past her defenses and sank its fangs into her exposed arm. She cried out at the harsh bite and staggered back after it released her, and after she took a quick look at the two spots of blood marring her delicate skin, the mage gritted her teeth in determination. A wave of dizziness struck her consciousness and she moaned at the nausea steadily rising in her stomach, but she stubbornly stood her ground and propped up her rod for support. Unbeknownst to Penelo, its vile venom was slowly running through her veins, infecting her body even more with each passing second, and it was only a matter of time before she would be overcome by the poisonous strength.

The blonde girl was able to continue her barrage of blistering magic spells, but eventually she realized that her mind was growing tired and she found herself unable to concentrate. Alarm crept into her mind when the snake suddenly started to appear hazy in her eyes, and she tried to gather enough energy to cast another spell, but Penelo could only whimper weakly in pain. She felt her rod unwillingly slip out of her hands, and her line of vision began to blur and darken as her knees buckled with fluid frailty, and then they gave away. The snake was smart enough to recognize the advantage and despite almost being dead itself, it began to furiously lash at the weakened mage and inflicted even more damage upon her.

Just before Penelo descended into unconsciousness, she caught a brief glimpse of a lean figure standing over her fallen form, shielding her vulnerable body from the danger of the viper.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

Sometime later, the young mage mentally struggled to lift her conscious mind out of the world of overwhelming bleakness, and she blinked her eyes open to slowly focus on a darkening dusk sky. She moaned weakly and turned her head to the side to see her friend sitting on a log nearby, holding out his hands and rubbing them over a small, kindling fire. She glanced around a bit more and noticed that the others were also huddled near another larger fire just a little distance away, with two sets of tents and some camping supplies beside them. Penelo waited a few more moments for her body to regain strength, and then she gingerly raised herself up into a seated position, which immediately attracted Vaan's attention.

The older teen stood and quickly went to her side, his expression full of concern as he spoke up, "Hey, Penelo, you're awake. How're you feeling?"

A groan of discomfort slipped out of her mouth before she was able to nod slightly and respond, "I think I'm okay, but… What happened? I… I was fighting a viper, and then…"

"So that's how you got poisoned," Vaan mused aloud with a wayward glance, and then he returned to answer her question, "You were poisoned and passed out, Penelo. We gave you an Antidote and some of Larsa's Potions and you slept through the whole afternoon."

"Oh…" Penelo sighed a bit and glanced down at her arm, where two healing, but still visible puncture holes marred her smooth skin, and with a shudder she suddenly remembered the painful bite that the viper had inflicted on her.

"Uh, Penelo? Are you… mad at me?"

The blonde girl looked up at her friend, surprised by such an inquiry. "Mad at you? For what?"

His face was lightly flushed with shame. "You got hurt because I wasn't there to look out for you. I should've helped you when you were fighting that snake."

She felt inclined to agree, and part of her wanted to scold her friend for abandoning her lately, but one look at the sincere remorse in his eyes instantly silenced her complaint. Penelo realized that she couldn't blame him for the incident with the vicious snake, since she had decided to go off by herself, and besides, she admitted that she had wanted to fight alone. The girl wanted to find out if she could fend for herself and finish off a battle solo, instead of always relying on someone else to protect her. And before she had gotten poisoned, the young mage thought that she was holding her own pretty well against the viper. Besides, it must have been Vaan who had reached her in time and finished off the fiend for her, and then brought her to safety when she had fallen unconscious.

No, she couldn't hold him responsible for what had happened to her.

Penelo gave her friend a small smile and assured him, "I'm not mad at you, Vaan. It wasn't your fault; I shouldn't have gone off by myself. But at least you saved me in the end. Thanks for your help."

Vaan cleared his throat and avoided her eyes just then, looking even more embarrassed as he admitted in a low tone, "Actually, I wasn't the one who helped you… Sorry, Penelo. Some friend I am, huh?"

She frowned slightly in confusion at the surprising information. "It wasn't you? Then who saved me from the viper?"

The older teen grinned a bit as he revealed, "That kid, Larsa. We were just walking around and suddenly, Basch said that both you and Larsa were missing. We went searching for you guys, and found you lying on the ground. Larsa was shaking you, but you didn't wake up, so we knew something was wrong. He said he thought you'd gotten poisoned and told us to give you an Antidote. And, well, you know the rest."

"Larsa?" Penelo repeated incredulously. Apparently, the young prince was a better protector to her than she'd thought; he had intently kept his word. He came to her rescue again, just like the way he had in Bhujerba…

"Yeah," her friend confirmed with a nod. "Good thing he saw you. Hey, he was really worried about you, Penelo. He was even watching over you when you were sleeping. Heh, he told us to be careful and not make any noise around you."

She hadn't expected to hear of such care and worry over her health from the group's raven-haired guest. "…Really?"

"I'm serious," he insisted, and then he looked over her shoulder and laughed a little; "Speaking of the kid…"

The blonde girl turned her head around and found the aforementioned boy standing a few feet behind her, his line of sight focused on the vast distance as if he was idly spending time, patiently waiting for it to pass by. _Larsa…_

Vaan grinned knowingly and urged, "Why don't you go talk to him? He was waiting all afternoon for you to wake up."

She gazed at Larsa for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

"Well, I'm gonna go tell Ashe and the others you're okay," her friend said helpfully as he turned to leave. "Take it easy, Penelo."

"I will," she assured him.

When he had gone back to their other allies, Penelo pushed aside the top portion of her sleeping bag and slowly stood up, taking a few minutes to carefully stretch her limbs and test their mobility. She casually brushed out the wrinkles in her clothing, and then timidly headed toward the Arcadian prince, despite the immense gratitude that flooded her emotions as she got closer to him. Larsa had saved her from the viper… he had risked his well-being for her sake and whisked her away from yet another predicament. She hadn't known that he cared about her that much. It was almost like the way Vaan protected and looked out for her, only… she didn't have a sibling-esque relationship with Larsa. His rescue had been out of selfless consideration.

Penelo kept walking forward until she was standing right beside him, drawing his attention away from his reverie. She turned to face him and simply greeted the raven-haired boy with a sweet smile.

"Penelo," he reacted immediately, focusing his complete attention on her, apprehension clearly in his widened eyes, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied sincerely, and for some reason that she couldn't explain, she suddenly felt shy as she remarked, "Um, Vaan told me what you did this afternoon. …Thank you, Larsa."

Instead of replying, Larsa appeared displeased by her show of gratitude. To her surprise, he averted his gaze elsewhere and was silent for a few minutes before he finally responded, "You are welcome, Penelo."

She glanced at him strangely, wondering why he had reacted in this negative way when she just thanked him for helping her. Her brow furrowed in bewilderment as the girl decided to inquire, "What's wrong? You seem… angry."

His grave expression softened when she told him this, and when the young prince turned his head back to gaze directly at her, his expression was filled with his usual warmth and friendliness. "I-I'm not angry, truly. I am… merely concerned about you. Tell me, why did you venture off by yourself this afternoon? Surely, you must have known that these plains are filled with horrendous creatures freely wandering about."

She felt a little ashamed by his question; he was right, of course, and she shouldn't have left the safety of the group and gone exploring alone, but really, who could have guessed that she'd be ambushed by a sneaky viper? Penelo pursed her lips slightly in mild frustration and tried to explain, "Well, I saw a broken urn, and I went to check it for treasure. It wasn't that far away and I really didn't think anything would happen."

"But something did," was his instant retort, and she was a little taken back by the sliver of unusual harshness in his tone, "You were poisoned and knocked unconscious, Penelo. Had I not interfered when I did, you could've been further injured, perhaps even fatally, with the venom infecting your body."

"I know, I know," she agreed hurriedly, now feeling both annoyed with herself and even a little bit at her companion for reminding her of the mistake she'd made. "I'm sorry for giving you so much trouble. I'm sorry you got involved in my problem."

The blonde girl huffed in frustration and looked away, her pale blue eyes scouring the vast dark sky as she mentally berated herself for seeming to be such a burden to everyone. Why couldn't she be more helpful and not a mere hindrance?

"Penelo," Larsa spoke up softly from beside her, "please do not be angered. I'm only thinking of your well-being. It is dangerous to venture around in a fiend-infested place without the support of your allies. You must be cautious and take better care of yourself. …I-I should not like to see you in a dire situation."

She sighed and relented in a meek voice, "All right, I won't go anywhere by myself again. I'll stay with the others so everyone can see where I am all the time."

He was silent for so long that Penelo finally turned back to face her young companion, wondering what she had said to render him speechless. Had she somehow aggravated him with her blatant words? His posture was stiffly straight and his eyes were focused on something off in the distance. She couldn't tell what he was thinking and considered asking him, but when she looked down at his side, she saw that his fist was clenched tightly, as if he was tense. The pensive girl quirked a brow in curiosity but kept quiet, giving him time to decide if he wanted to tell her his thoughts by his own will. She didn't want to pressure or provoke the answer out of him.

She glanced away again for some time, and then to her surprise, she suddenly felt the young prince take a hold of her hand and his grip was form as he lifted it into the air. Penelo returned her attention to him and was slightly startled to see him bring her hand up to lips, where he placed a gentle kiss upon the back of it. Her eyes widened a bit but she said nothing in protest and just watched Larsa as he pressed her palm against his cheek. She felt him tremor under her touch and his skin was very warm under her fingers, almost as if he was flustered by their physical contact. He met her gaze and even under the veil of the night, she was able to spot the haze of emotions dwelling within the depths of his clouded blue eyes.

The awestruck girl mentally grasped through her mind for a response to what was just revealed to her, but she found herself unable to speak, mesmerized by his display of intensity toward her.

It was Larsa who finally broke the silence to remark quietly, "Heed my words, Penelo. In the future, should you ever desire to venture somewhere and your comrades decide not to follow, then please, come inform me."

"But I don't want to bother you…" she started to protest faintly.

He shook his head and insisted, "I assure you, it would be no bother to me. I would gladly accompany you wherever you wished to go, Penelo…" he trailed off abruptly just then, as if he suddenly realized that he had just exposed his most intimate desire.

Penelo was glad that the darkened shy hid the blush that was slowly turning her cheeks pink as she realized his intentions toward her. Admittedly, she wasn't too shocked by the revelation, for she had sensed something in him since they first met; she saw the vivid interest in his eyes and felt the admiration from the warmth of his gaze. She was grateful to the young prince for his assistance, and enjoyed being his close confidant when they were alone, but the girl wasn't sure if she could return his affections. Suddenly, she realized how her friend must have felt when he had initially developed feelings for the Dalmascan princess. Larsa was the son of the Arcadian emperor and she was only a common girl from Rabanastre… if they wanted to, was it even possible for them to pursue a relationship?

While she was contemplating their situation, Larsa reluctantly released his hold on her hand and then he nervously cleared his throat as he took a step back away from the region of her personal space. Penelo glanced at him with mild surprise, wondering about his action, when she noticed his expression of unease and discomfort, and she guessed that he must have taken her silence as a rejection of his affections. The raven-haired boy ducked his head and she could no longer see his eyes; she sighed and put aside her dilemma for the time being, wanting to assure him that she wasn't refusing him. Penelo thoroughly enjoyed being around him and she didn't want the two of them to become distanced, no matter what her feelings were for him, whether platonic or… possibly more.

"Thanks for the offer." She finally said in response to his earlier proposal, and then further assured him, "…I'll remember that, Larsa."

Hope aligned his features as Larsa looked up and gazed at her with a small, hesitant smile delicately curling his lips. He nodded slightly and then remarked with clear reluctance in his voice, "You should go and get some more rest, Penelo. Your body might still be fatigued. If you feel any pain at all in the morning, I have plenty of Potions to help ease your discomfort."

"Well, I'm fine right now, but I'll let you know if I feel different," she replied agreeably, and admitted with a lighthearted giggle, "I guess I _am_ a little tired…"

The young prince was immediately at her side, his hand gently holding her arm. "Come, I'll see you back to your tent."

Penelo knew full well that his presence wasn't absolutely required, as she could walk just fine, but she simply smiled and allowed her companion to accompany her as she headed back toward the campsite, retrieving her sleeping bag along the way. Her other allies were still huddled around their hot fire, talking amongst themselves and possibly planning on their route of travel for the next day. The blonde mage glanced their way briefly, and considered going over to tell them good-night, but she decided not to disrupt their discussion and instead shifted her attention to Larsa, who was fidgeting slightly as he lingered close by the tent that they just reached. She giggled playfully, figuring that he was trying to find a way to bid her farewell for the night and depart without somehow embarrassing himself or making her feel uncomfortable.

To put an end to his fumbling indecision, Penelo swiftly solved the problem by leaning forward and gently kissing his smooth, cool cheek, and after she pulled back, she murmured softly, "Good night, Larsa."

When he had recovered from his momentary bout of shock, he managed to answer hoarsely, emotions underlying his tone, "Sleep well, Penelo, and have sweet dreams."

She gave her endearing prince one last sweet smile before turning to slip into the tent, and she soon fell asleep with the pleasant memory of his endearing feelings for her shone clearly in his light blue eyes.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Part Three

**Part Three**

The next morning, after everyone had risen and eaten, they packed up all their belongings and started out on their journey once again, crossing over the vast Ozmone Plain to reach the Golmore Jungle.

Penelo made sure she stuck with the group as they walked together toward the same destination, and she was so lost in her thoughts that she was slightly startled by her friend's sudden unannounced approach, "Hey, Penelo."

"Hi, Vaan," she replied with her usual perky charm.

"You feeling better today?" he asked, throwing a brief glance of concern her way.

"Yep, I'm okay," she grinned cheekily, enthusiastically stretching out her arms for emphasis.

"I'm great," the older teen answered in his typical lax and carefree manner, and then a mischievous glint flickered for a second in his eyes as he tried to remark casually, "So… you and Larsa were talking pretty long last night. How's it going with the kid?"

"Everything's fine," she told him, while darting a look of exasperation in his direction in response to his implication, but her grin turned playful when she quipped with feigned innocence, "And how are you doing with the princess?"

The girl had cleverly asked the right question, for her friend suddenly flushed and stole a peek at the young woman he so adored before he mumbled bashfully in reply, "We're… we're pretty good."

"Ooh, what happened?" she teased him with a gentle jab to his side.

His face reddened and he awkwardly scratched the back of his head, but nevertheless revealed, "Uh, well, Ashe said… she said that when our journey's over, she wants to hold a banquet at the castle, in our honor."

"Wow, a banquet!" Penelo squealed and clapped her hands in excitement. "For everyone?"

He nodded. "Yeah, she said all our friends are invited."

"I'm sure Migelo and Kytes and everybody else would love to go," she gushed happily as her eyes sparkled in amazement at the exhilarating thought of attending such a beautiful and elegant event.

"I'll bet," Vaan agreed fondly at the mention of their friends, but then he suddenly appeared nervous as he looked down and slowly shuffled his feet over the thin, flimsy blades of grass.

"What? Is there more, Vaan?" The girl prodded her friend, curious about what he could be hiding.

"It… it's nothing," he denied weakly, although with a stern glare from Penelo, he admitted, "Well, Ashe wants me to go with her, y'know, to the banquet."

"You mean, like as her date?" she clarified.

The older blond just grinned in response, and his eyes glazed over a bit as thoughts of escorting the beautiful princess flickered pleasantly through his mind.

"That's great, Vaan. You'd better buy something nice to wear before you go!" The young mage jested playfully, but she was truly delighted to hear that his dream would be realized, and then she mused with a slight tilt of her head, "Hmm… so who should I go with, then? Well, I guess I can bring Kytes as my date, hehe."

Vaan quickly glanced at a certain member of their party, and after that he turned to grin wolfishly at her, taking the opportunity to tease his adopted sister. "Or… you could go with Larsa."

Penelo was visibly startled by his suggestion, and she couldn't help blushing at the mention of the kind-hearted prince; his warm, comforting hand holding hers with firm tenderness still lingered in her thoughts. "Um… maybe. I mean, if he has the time, and if he wants to, we could go together…"

"I'm sure he'd love to go with you," her friend laughed heartily at her obvious embarrassment, and he had purposely placed heavy emphasis on a specific word to further poke fun at her.

She peered at him suspiciously, wondering how he had gotten so observant all of a suddenly, and then she playfully smacked his arm after catching a glimpse of his impish expression. "Hey, just what do you mean by that?"

His grin turned wry and knowing as Vaan retorted matter-of-factly, "C'mon, Penelo, I know you. And it's pretty obvious that Larsa's got a crush on you. All that attention and worrying, and how he kept us away from you while you were sleeping; it's kinda hard not to notice."

Her blush deepened and she could only shake her head in exasperation at the older teen, although she was unable to stop the small smile that furtively crept over her lips. So Vaan was more perceptive than she gave him credit for, but he also had a big mouth sometimes, and the last thing she needed was for him to go around babbling about her personal relationship with Larsa. Thinking of a way to derail her friend from his current train of thought, Penelo looked to the Dalmascan princess in hopes that she could help in distracting Vaan and avert his attention elsewhere. Fortunately, the young woman met her eyes and seemed to understand her silent plea, and she nodded ever-so-slightly before casually slowing her pace to fall in-step with the two chattering friends.

Penelo smothered a giggle at the way her friend immediately grew flustered as he greeted their newcomer just a tad too excitedly, "Hey, Ashe! Nice morning, huh?"

Amusement briefly flickered in her eyes as the soft-spoken princess agreed, "Yes, I think so. And Penelo, I hope you have recovered from the ordeal late yesterday."

"Yeah, I'm fine," the younger girl replied merrily, all the while sending a message of gratitude by the relief on her face. "Thanks."

She was a bit astonished by the show of concern, but she was starting to learn that despite her status as a ruler, Princess Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca was, thankfully, similar to Larsa in the treatment of their people.

The slender brunette turned to Vaan just then and suddenly remarked, "Vaan, I would not mind if you preferred to be near your friend during the throes of battle. 'Tis my understanding that her safety is important to you."

His eyes widened at her suggestion and he was at a loss for words as his gaze swiftly shifted back and forth between Ashe and the young mage, his expression appearing torn in his desire to protect both ladies.

Before he could fumble through his dilemma for an answer, Penelo graciously rescued her friend by exclaiming, "It's okay, Ashe! Vaan can stay with you. Besides, he's so careless and reckless that I'd probably have to protect _him_ all the time!"

"What-?" he protested incredulously.

The two women shared a laugh at the probability while Vaan looked slightly offended, but he easily shed his annoyance and glanced at the giggling blonde with earnest gratitude, and relief at her understanding.

Penelo was having fun watching her friend's clumsy, yet endearing antics with the princess, but when she saw Ashe take a hold of his arm, she knew by that small gesture it was time to leave the pair alone. She waited until they were engrossed in a discussion, and then she furtively snuck away, feeling happy that she had the chance to witness evidence of their growing relationship. There was surely hope for Vaan, and she only wished the best for her dear adopted brother. The blonde girl promptly resumed her casual stroll, and a curious glance at her other party members made her realize with a start that she couldn't locate Larsa. She spun around in a full circle, looking all over the place, and she finally spotted him standing over to the side, engaged in battle with a tall horse-like creature.

_And he told **me** not to fight alone…_ she shook her head at the ironic display, but nevertheless shifted her battle rod to her hands and began to quickly jog toward her lone companion.

Larsa didn't appear to have any trouble fending off the monster on his own, but then another creature of its same type lumbered up behind him, seemingly out of nowhere, and its hind legs were reared to kick. The young mage squealed slightly in alarm and immediately hastened her pace into a run, frantically desperate to reach him, and her initial idea was to call out a warning. But she firmly clamped her mouth shut with the reasoning that if she averted his attention away from the fiend, he would be distracted and more prone to get struck from both sides. It would be more helpful to him if the second monster's attack was diverted, and so Penelo began to mentally summon her most-used spell, though she wasn't sure if that element was the creature's weakness.

The small line of flames caused the metallic horse to neigh shrilly, and it skittered back away from the young prince, who by then had fortunately just defeated the first monster. He turned around in surprise at hearing the sudden loud noise behind him, and he quickly readied his defenses for the new enemy, his dual weapons clutched tightly at bay and positioned to strike. During the short pause, Penelo took the small window of opportunity to use a technique on herself, Libra, which allowed her to identify the creature's weakness, as well as view the length of its livelihood. A moment later, she was busily casting numerous rounds of frigid blizzard spells at it, while Larsa slashed and stabbed with his sword up close and personal, not even stopping a beat whenever the horse kicked at him.

With their combined efforts, the fiend soon fell and faded into nothingness, leaving behind a small portion of its mane as spoils. The blonde mage quickly swooped down to grab the light, bushy material before it could be blown away, and then she placed the loot into her pouch to be sold later to an interested merchant. Her eyes scanned the surroundings to make sure there weren't other enemies in close enough vicinity to launch an attack, and then after feeling they were safe, she trotted over to her companion. Due to his full attire, Larsa was free of scratches, but he must have had some unseen bruises underneath his clothes, for he visibly grimaced while reaching around to hook his secondary weapon to the chain on his back.

Penelo bit her lip in sympathy, and she swiftly closed her eyes to concentrate on a healing spell to ease his injuries; she cast it on the young prince and he was quickly enveloped in a warm glow of light.

His expression was more relaxed and serene after the curing effect faded, and he nodded his appreciation to the girl. "Thank you, Penelo."

"Now, who was the one lecturing me on fighting alone? Hmm?" she chastised in a gentle tone, her hands propped against her waist in a gesture of firmness.

He laughed lightheartedly, apparently undisturbed by her show of authority. "I apologize. I'll not reprimand you again for wandering around by yourself."

"Well… good." The girl was satisfied to get her way, though she still studied him with an inquiring eye. "Um… what were you doing out here, anyway?"

"Just a bit of practice," Larsa told her candidly, completely unabashed of his ever-thriving desire to learn, "I wish to gain more experience in the art of battling."

"Oh, really? I think you fight pretty well already, Larsa," she inputted.

"My instructors have taught me countless tactics of self-defense, but unfortunately, offensive fighting was rarely emphasized."

"So… you had to learn that by yourself?" Judging by what she'd seen of his abilities and skills so far, the young prince must have been a quick study.

"Well, not completely alone," he hesitated for a moment before revealing quietly, "My brother helped me a great deal with my swordsmanship. We used to spar together in our free time, when we were younger."

Although Penelo was uncomfortable with the mention of the Arcadian empire, and especially regarding the current consul of Rabanastre, she nevertheless nodded in understanding toward her companion. "…My brother taught me how to fight, too. He was great with martial arts. Before he went off to join the way, he joked about having to learn how to use a gun…" her voice turned wistful at the memory and a melancholic look inhabited her downcast eyes.

At her disheartened mood, Larsa reached toward the somber girl in comfort and tucked his hand under her chin, gently lifting her up until he could see her face. "Please, don't be sad, Penelo. Remember your brother for what he did, fighting for his country and defending his family. Do not reminisce on what happened to him."

She took a few minutes to absorb his words, and tried not to feel depressed about her deceased family, though she thought about them all the time; finally, she was able to nod shakily and murmur, "I-I'll try. It's just… I miss him so much."

"I understand," her companion assured warmly, with sympathy clearly in his expression. "But, I should not like to see you in this state. I'd prefer to have you smiling and basked in delight."

Penelo grinned slightly at that comment and replied with a hint of her usual optimism, "Okay." _And maybe I should tell Vaan about Larsa's idea too…_

His smile was boyish with pleasure at her attempt to please him, and then realization lit his eyes as he prompted just then, "Well, shall we return to the others? I imagine they've noticed our absence by now."

"Oh!" she exclaimed in shock, having forgotten about her allies for a while. "Let's hurry back, Larsa! They might think something happened to us."

With a quick nod of assent from her companion, the energetic girl began to dash forward in a wayward direction, when Larsa suddenly called out, "Penelo, stop!"

The command in his voice made her stumble to a halt and she spun around to give him a questioning look.

He caught up to her location in a swift stroll and chided softly, "You're going in the wrong direction…"

She was stunned for a moment by that information, and then after a quick glance at her surroundings, she laughed aloud, feeling a little foolish for running around when she didn't even know where to go. "Um, I hope you know the way, Larsa…"

"I believe so," the young prince reached into his side pouch and pulled out a small compass, "Now; the Golmore Jungle is located northeast of the Ozmone Plain. We should head there and perhaps we'll meet up with the others along the way."

He started walking toward the decided destination, keeping his eyes intently focused on the needle to ensure the correct path, while his free hand hovered over the hilt of his sword in case of combat. Penelo followed closely behind her navigator, willingly distracted by the view of the open lively field, and she briefly closed her eyes to deeply inhale the spring-fresh air, and then she released a sigh of content. After a few minutes of quiet serenity, the young mage peered at her companion and giggled playfully when she saw him fixated on the compass, barely even glancing up as he ventured – apparently, she would have to keep an eye out for the monsters. Penelo thought about saying something to ease his serious behavior, but then she suddenly spied a bright red light, a flickering flag of danger; her Libra technique must have still been in effect.

Blind to the trap, Larsa headed straight toward it.

"Larsa, look out!" The girl cried in alarm and he merely looked to her with confusion, her warning too vague for him to comprehend the threat.

Reacting instinctively, she reached over and grabbed his arm, firmly pulling her companion away from the trap, mere seconds before he came into contact with it. The young prince was startled by her action, and he elicited a small noise of surprise as he stumbled off-balance and clumsily fell against Penelo, accidentally knocking her back into a hard, sturdy tree. She gasped out at the forceful impact, and when she was able to catch her breath, a soft moan of discomfort slipped free from her mouth. Penelo shook her head to clear the slight dizziness, and then she realized that there was a curious amount of unknown pressure leaning against her body. She glanced down to see her companion there and found him in a… rather compromising position.

"Mmm?" Larsa mumbled faintly, his voice strangely muffled while he felt his cheeks surrounded by a very soft and pleasantly warm presence…

Penelo blushed hotly and stammered, "U-um, Larsa…?"

He steadily regained his balance and placed his hands against the tree behind her to retract a bit. His eyes were immediately met with the sight of her bosom, to which he staggered back in surprise, his face burning in embarrassment. The blonde girl ducked her head slightly as she clamped her hands together and tucked them under her chin, conveniently covering over her breasts. His face still very reddened, Larsa pivoted fully around and walked a few steps away to bend down and retrieve his fallen compass from the ground, but after straightening up, he kept his back to her. The silence that stretched between them was long and awkward.

The raven-haired boy finally uttered in a low tone, "I apologize, Penelo. I-I didn't mean to… to knock you into that tree. Have I injured you?"

Penelo slowly shook her head, and then realized that he couldn't see the gesture, so she replied verbally, "N-no. I'm okay…" She knew that he was really apologizing for his accidental collision into her chest, but she didn't mention anything about it and just willingly went along with the diversion.

He nodded stiffly, obviously still feeling tense and uneasy with the current situation by his rigid stance. "Good. …Shall we proceed?"

"Yeah, let's go," she agreed in a soft tone.

The pair headed out again, and Larsa maintained an arm's length of distance away from the older girl as they walked. After another period of unsettling silence, Penelo sighed and quickened her pace until she was beside her companion. She reached her hand toward his arm in hopes of easing his distress, but as soon as she touched him, the young prince flinched, seeming uncomfortable with the contact. She frowned a bit at his reaction, but she persisted nonetheless and tightened her grasp until he stopped with hesitant reluctance. Penelo tugged firmly on his arm and eventually persuaded him to turn around and meet her eyes.

The girl winced at the shame and frustration evident on his expression, and knowing how ethical and proper he was, she tried to speak convincingly, "It's okay, Larsa… What happened back there was an accident; it wasn't your fault."

He still appeared disturbed as he responded, "Perhaps. And yet… I must ask you to please forgive me, Penelo. I should not have come into contact with… that part of your body."

She had felt embarrassed during the incident, but he was actually ashamed and a little distraught by it. Was it purely due to his chivalrous nature, or could it be because… part of him had actually enjoyed being so close to her?

Penelo decided not to voice that question and instead repeated, "It was an accident. Really, there's nothing to forgive. Let's just forget about it."

"But-"

"No buts," she commanded gently, cutting him off. "C'mon, let's go find the others. You're sure you know the way, right?"

"Yes," Larsa answered her absentmindedly; his brows were still furrowed a bit with disdain. After he spied the stern look in her eyes, he relented under her insistence and averted his attention back to his compass.

As they began to walk together, Penelo became a little impatient with the way her companion continued to stay out of her personal space even after she had assured him, and so she did something about it. She pouted slightly and deliberately slowed her step until he had pulled ahead, and when he noticed, the young prince stopped and turned around to glance her way, curious about her lag. He waited for her to catch up, and to his surprise, the girl came to a halt a few steps behind him, and he watched as she slowly raised her arm and held out her hand, an obvious indication to him. Amused by her antics, Larsa grinned at her lighthearted personality, and then with a glint of pure admiration in his light green eyes, he accepted her invitation, gently taking her hand into his.

And with that, there were no more interruptions for the duo as they slowly proceeded toward the Golmore Jungle, their fingers intertwined as strongly as the bond they shared with each other.

**The End**

**Author's Note: **Hurray, my first multi-part FFXII fic is finished! This is really just a mini-series, but I'm still happy to have completed it. My next idea is kind of a weird one, so I don't know how long it will take me to finish the story, but I'll sure try my best. I'd also like to say "Happy birthday" to Mariagoner, and dedicate this update to her, if she's reading this. My lovely readers, please leave a review and let me know what you think of this story.

**With love for my fans,**

**Tiger5913**


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